In many of the schools, stencilling in its simplest form is taught in the kindergarten. The children are taught to fold a heavy piece of drawing paper lengthwise and draw half a design so that the centre of it is on the fold of the paper. The design is then cut away, leaving the background intact. This method is good for very simple motives. Sometimes when we do not wish our design to be so set, we will draw it without creasing the paper.
Fig. 83. A simple stencilled pillow
The stencil board that you can buy is very hard for little fingers to cut, besides being expensive.
To make a stencil pattern, draw a design such as a bunch of violets. Let every petal be separated from the other and where the stems should intersect leave a little space between. These little spaces or bridges are what keep the background together. Of course, as a usual thing, if you buy a stencil outfit, one pattern or more already cut comes with it. In many of the large shops stencil patterns can be bought separately, but if one has any idea of drawing it is an easy matter to make a pattern.
Fig. 84. The cut stencil
The design can be traced and cut on a piece of heavy manilla paper: a coat or two of shellac makes the paper stiffer and somewhat waterproof. The advantage of using drawing paper is this, that it may be cut with a pair of scissors, while a stencil board requires a sharp penknife and lots of finger strength to cut the pattern. White shellac is the best to use, as it dries quickly. It can be bought from any paint store.